


Party Politics

by emeraldvixen



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: AU - Human, AU - Politics, Democrat Caroline, F/M, Fluff, Human AU, Implied Smut, Morning After, No Smut, Political, Politics, Republican Klaus, US presidential election
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:33:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25091677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldvixen/pseuds/emeraldvixen
Summary: An all human AU in which Klaus' brother and Caroline's friend are the Republican and Democratic nominees. One drunken night at the bar leads them to have a serious conversaiton. Can their relationship survive party politics?ORThe one in which Elijah and Tyler run for President, and Klaus and Caroline have to deal with that in the aftermath of a one-night stand.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 79





	Party Politics

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY 4TH JULY (weekend)! And Happy Election Year too! No major warnings here, but implied smut. Also this plays into a lot of Republican and Democratic stereotypes. People are complex and we should imagine them as such - even those who vote differently from us.

Her panties were nowhere to be seen, not on his bedroom floor, or in the hallway where she’d found her shoes, nor in the kitchen where her shirt had been abandoned. Caroline tiptoed back into his bedroom and ignored the smooth panes of his skin stretched out and half hidden by the bedsheets. For a second she considered joining him once more, catching an extra hour of dozing before waking him for round… three or four. Too be honest, last night was a little hazy and each one had blurred into the other. 

Her internal monologue berated her as she shimmied her skirt over her hips. 

First, she’d fraternised with the enemy.  
Secondly, she’d ended up in his bed.   
Third, she’d liked it.   
And now fourth, she was sneaking out like she was ashamed. 

_Wasn’t she?_

Caroline was pulled from her thoughts as a voice spoke behind her. The smirk audible in his voice made her stomach drop. _Caught_. 

“Looking for these?”

* * *

** A FEW HOURS EARLIER **

Two weeks out from the election and the polls were inconclusive. As the Campaign Manager for the Democratic Party, Caroline was as frazzled as a person could be. Friday night drinks had become something of a habit for her in the past few weeks, and while alcohol wasn’t the smartest of vices, the end of the race was in sight and she allowed herself the solace of vodka for at least another two weeks. 

Usually she’d wait until she was safely behind the door of her downtown rental before hitting the bottle, but since the majority of the DC population was packed into the stadium to see Springsteen blast out some American classics, she’d instead picked a dive bar next to campaign HQ and Capitol Hill. It wasn’t empty, but she found a seat at the bar easily enough and was trying very hard to enjoy the music and zone out the TV’s showing of a constant stream of polls and speeches. 

It was hard to escape work. Tyler was an exceptional candidate - passionate as all hell and a fierce friend - but Caroline hadn’t expected him to win a seat on the school board never mind the race to become the Democratic Nominee for President. While she was grateful for the rollercoaster they were on together and _truly_ , truly believed in the cause, her life in the last few years had become an endless void of policy debates and interviews. In truth, she couldn’t wait for the next two weeks to be over. At least then she’d be able to catch her breath. 

“Can I buy you a drink?” A polite accent asked from her left. 

Caroline turned, and rolled her eyes with a scoff. “No thanks. Contrary to popular Republican belief, just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I need your money.”

“If I didn’t know better I’d say that was incredibly prejudiced view, sweetheart. And for the record, I’m making a friendly gesture at the end of a long week.” Klaus Mikaelson taunted, leaning both elbows up against the bar. 

She watched his profile for a second, admiring the gentle carving of his not unattractive features. They’d met before on the campaign trail and in private meetings, but never alone. 

Klaus’ brother had secured the Republican nomination by a landslide, though Caroline couldn’t wrap her head around why. She had always thought Klaus would have been a better pick. Both Elijah and Klaus seemed to share the same deplorable, conservative views, but Klaus was a charmer. He was warm and natural in front of a crowd, but instead they’d chosen Elijah. 

Elijah however was still a fair opponent, especially for Tyler. Being incredibly well-spoken and polite, watching Elijah and Tyler go head to head in the live debates was like watching fire and ice clash. Elijah could sooth economic worries and fiscal uncertainty, but Tyler could stir up anger and passion on social issues. They were well matched, and staring at Klaus’ pretty profile, Caroline was immensely grateful that he hadn’t run and made her life all the more difficult. 

“Fine.” She said, and ordered a drink alongside Klaus’ request of Scotch whisky on the rocks. 

“Not a Springsteen fan?” He asked, eyes fixed on the TV screens predicting a Democratic victory in Michigan.

“Not a fan of crowds.” She sipped her fresh drink and smiled a thanks to the bartender. 

“Strange choice of career.”

Caroline rolled her eyes. As if she’d have chosen the life of stress, never sleeping, living out of hotels for the last 12 months and never having time to get her nails done. She considered letting the conversation die there, but in truth she kind of liked Klaus. Not just for his aesthetics but for his sharp tongue too. They’d exchanged plenty of polite comments in the last few weeks, and even a few flirty ones when Caroline tried (unsuccessfully) to use her feminine wiles to catch him off guard. Besides, she could either drink alone, or she could have some entertainment - someone to take her mind off Tyler’s run, even if it was just with stories of Elijah’s. “Doing a friend a favour.”

“Just a friend?” The question fell too quickly from his lips, and Klaus turned to meet her eyes with an amused smirk. _Arrogant ass._

“I’ve never lied about it, if that’s what you’re asking.” And she hadn’t. Growing up together in Mystic Falls, Tyler and Caroline had been big fish in a small pond. When he offered her a way out, she’d gladly accepted, but Tyler’s ambition had snowballed and Caroline’s management skills had grown exponentially. Even if they’d broken up in their first year of college, Tyler couldn’t imagine running a campaign without Caroline. 

“Ah, forgive me.” Klaus backtracked at her pointed tone. “High school lovers turned political powerhouse seemed too perfect a narrative.”

“And the abused orphans turned business tycoons are nothing to write home about.” She snapped. He had the audacity to chuckle at that, as if Republicans didn’t have enough multi-millionaires already. 

“I like you, Caroline. And I admire your determination to crash into the old boys club.” His eyes bore into hers, and she found herself somewhere between a smirk and a scoff. Obviously everything came back to gender with him. 

“It’s 2020, us womenfolk don’t have to stay in the kitchen. Isn’t that a _wild_ concept?” She spat, but realising that she was stomping out any hopes of polite company, shifted in her seat and added an “Again, doing a friend a favour.”

“In exchange for?” Klaus pried. Caroline admired how cordial his tone seemed, even if he was prying places he shouldn’t have been. 

_Play dumb._ “Huh?”

“What’s the bargain? Do you have some skeletons in the closet for him to hide? Or maybe it’s the Secretary of State job, you seem like the travelling sort.” He said with a smile and those dimples were delightful. 

Yet Caroline was smarter than to be enthralled by a pretty face trying to uncover information from her under the rouse of free alcohol. “Nice try. It’s a Friday night and if you don’t mind, I’ll save my interrogation for Monday morning.” She downed the rest of the drink in two gulps, and hopped off the stool to start the walk to her temporary home. 

“Wait.” Klaus called, and his tone sounded almost remorseful. _How interesting he was._ “How about we don’t talk work?”

Caroline pivoted to meet his gaze, and after a second of evaluating his sincerity placed her purse back onto the bar. “Buy me another drink and I’ll consider it.”

“Done.”

It was maybe two hours later that the pair had graduated to the leather booths at the back of the bar, hiding from the growing crowd as the concert fans poured in after the encore. Caroline had stripped down to her shirt a long time ago, and her jacket fell in a pile with his on the seat beside her. 

“But healthcare is a fundamental human right. Poor people should have healthcare.” She said, eyes wide and actions animated.

Klaus nodded, nursing his whisky slowly. He looked different from how she often saw him, relaxed by alcohol and a decent conversation versus his usual suit and tie diplomacy. Some distant part of her quite liked this side of him, happy to listen but intelligent enough to have a response. “And I agree, love, but we have to go about it the right way. Higher taxes will lead to brain drain, tax evasion and a bleeding economy.”

“Sweden, Norway, Japan, the UK, Cyprus. Show me the proof. And another thing, public transport! It’s completely laughable that we have one of the worst public transport infrastructures in the world.” Caroline jumped topic as she had a habit of doing. One of the many reasons she’d never wanted to run for office herself was her complete inability to compartmentalise the injustices of the world. 

“And so your solution to that is of course, the silver bullet, single payer tax system?” He said.

“Damn right it is!”

“I disagree. Privatisation is proven to enhance innovation, improve efficiency and lower costs to consumers. And where does it end, love? Not everything can be a monopoly. I believe in freedom. The freedom of the people to live lives unimpeded by a government who claim to serve the interests of the 330 million citizens who live here. Let the American people decide what they do and who they do it with.” 

She found herself quite liking that too. How he’d argue but never berate her. Turns out, she liked quite a lot of things about Klaus Mikaelson. Since the first time she’d met him, she’d taken to warning the other Democratic campaign staffers to steer clear for fear of losing their secrets to his charm. While she’d been more than careful with what she’d shared over the last few hours, between the alcohol and his bright smile, she knew it wouldn’t be long before she let something slip. 

“How about we add politics to the list of banned topics tonight?” 

“I talk about freedom and you talk about banning things?” Klaus grinned back.

“You talk about banning abortions and gay marriage.”

“Not all Republicans-“

“-A leopard can’t change its spots.”

His smile only widened at that, and Caroline felt hers do the same. With a nod of his head, he raised his glass a fraction. “To freedom.”

“To freedom.” She agreed, sipping her own drink before leaning over the table again. “Now, tell me something I don’t know about you.”

It was maybe an hour after that, that Caroline’s head was thrown back laughing freely at his tales of his brother’s pranks. She liked his echoing grin, the lazy lilt in his voice and the way his fingers lingered on the table like they were waiting for her own. 

When Klaus changed the direction of their conversation to her life back home, Caroline slid into his side of the booth to take him through the long and complex campaign for Miss Mystic Falls she’d run back in the day - with visual aids, of course. The bar was quiet when she finally finished, and she wasn’t unhappy with the way his arm was stretched along the booth at her shoulders. 

Setting her phone down, Caroline turned to look at him and let her knee bump up against his. She’d always been a bit of a horny drunk - one of the many reasons she usually drank at home - but the way his fingers trailed down her face to run along her jaw had her melting where she sat. It was hard to say who moved first really, but soon, his hand was creeping under her pencil skirt and Caroline was struggling to contain her whimpers against his lips. 

“Can we go somewhere?” She muttered above the music and chatter as his fingertips brushed along her underwear. _Thank god for private, back booths in dive bars._

“Thought you’d never ask.” Klaus gave her one last bruising kiss before hauling her to her feet, grabbing both their jackets and steering her out of the bar. 

Before she knew it they were crashing through the front door of his very expensive penthouse apartment, his hands in her hair as they shucked their clothes in favour of hot skin and possessive touches. It was a long, _long_ night, and by the time they sipped water and exchanged gentle caresses, Caroline was close to sober. Sex-high and sated she decided that she didn’t care. She melted into his embrace and let herself fall asleep all wrapped up in him.   
  


* * *

  
With a deep breath and a set of her jaw, Caroline turned. 

Klaus stretched an arm behind his head as he smirked at her. In the gentle light of the morning sun, he was beautiful. The crumpled white sheets covered very little of him, and Caroline felt a jolt at the sight of the marks she’d left on him - tiny tender bruises from where she’d sucked and bit at his skin and pink scratches from her fingernails on his forearms. He was still, but for the rise and fall of his breath and the red scrap he dangled between his fingers triumphantly. 

It took her a second to weigh up just walking out without her underwear and saving herself the embarrassment, but with the election just around the corner, there was no way she could avoid him forever. 

Offering a tight smile, Caroline pulled her eyes from the marks on him to meet his gaze. “Yes, thank you.” She said as careful steps took her to his bedside. 

She reached out an open palm, but Klaus’ amusement didn’t falter and he made no move to hand over her underwear. Instead he raised an eyebrow, unperturbed by his own lack of clothing. “You were sneaking out.” He stated.

“I have things to do.”

“On a Saturday morning?” 

“Politics stops for no one, especially not me.” Caroline sighed, trying to suppress the inevitable flush creeping up her skin.

“Lockwood?” Klaus asked casually, as if they were chatting in a coffee shop.

“Can I have them, please?” She gasped as he twirled the lace around his fingertips. 

Reluctantly, Klaus placed her underwear into her open palm and sat up as she moved away to adjust herself in the mirror and slip her panties on under her skirt. “Is it important?”

“Oh, you know Tyler. It’s like he doesn’t even want to be President.” And that much was true. Tyler, brilliant and fierce and loyal as he was had a habit of being hotheaded and saying things he didn’t mean. It drove Caroline around the bend usually, if only he’d _think_ before he spoke, maybe she wouldn’t have quite as many sleepless nights at the campaign HQ trying to dampen the damage before the press went to print. 

“Let me take you to breakfast.” The words stopped Caroline in her tracks, and in the reflection of the mirror she watched as his very naked form shifted from the bed to find some pants. 

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I wouldn’t be seen dead with you wearing the same clothes as yesterday.” That was true, too. At this point in the presidential race, all it’d take was a passerby snapping a picture for them to make the news. Would the public care? Probably not, but it was the conversation with Tyler and the rest of the Democratic team she wanted to avoid. 

“Let me make you breakfast.” 

With one last swipe at the residual makeup lingering under her eyes, Caroline walked out of his bedroom. “I have to get to work.” She called back, heels clicking on the hardwood floors of his apartment as she made a bee line for the front door.

“Caroline. Wait.” Klaus called, shirtless but with sweats hanging from his hips. 

She didn’t falter, but just as she reached out to pull open his front door, a hand caught hers. 

It surprised her just how gentle he could be. His skin was soft against hers, and while it would have been easy to shrug his grasp and leave, instead Caroline sighed. “Klaus.” She breathed, turning slowly. He was close. The cool air of the AC was heated by the morning sun, but she shivered under his gaze, watching his eyes trail down her body. 

“Don’t run out on me.” He muttered, stepping closer still to hold her waist. 

She should have pushed him away, but the heat of his embrace was too enticing, and Caroline’s head was sore with the echo of a hangover. “We can’t do this.” She whispered, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. 

“Why?” His chest rumbled as his arms tightened around her, pulling her into the warmth of his torso. Caroline went easily, setting her hands on his chest as she breathed in the delicious scent of sex and fading cologne on his skin. 

“You’re a Republican.” She moaned.

Klaus chuckled at that, raking fingers through her messy, morning-after hair to stroke at her scalp. “What happened to liberals being open minded?”

“We are on different teams.”

“There aren't _teams_ in politics, sweetheart.” Caroline pulled her head from his skin and gave him a flat look at that. Still, his eyebrows raised until her lips pulled up in a weak smile. “Come on, Caroline. In two weeks time one of us will be out of a job. Put your party politics aside for once.”

Considering his proposition, Caroline ran her fingers into the short hairs at the base of his neck, looking over his shoulder at the beautiful apartment which lay beyond. She hadn’t really appreciated it in the haste of last night, but the view of the Kennedy Centre to Congress all the way east to the Basilica must have come with a heavy price tag. She’d known they were wealthy, of course, but the thought of spending an hour or two in luxury with him rather than her tiny rental was tempting. “What are you asking for, Klaus?”

“A chance.”

“For what?” 

“I’d like a date.” He replied easily, fingertips flitting over the high waisted top of her skirt.

“You’ve already had me in your bed.”

“I’d like you there again.”

Caroline couldn’t help the flush which crept up her skin. He was hot - obviously. His wandering hands were doing nothing to help her forget all the sinful things they’d done a few hours ago. “Not going to happen.”

“I want other things too.” He growled, shifting away just a fraction to catch her eye. “I enjoy you. I enjoy your ambition and your wit, your light. I’d very much enjoy a chance to learn more of it.”

No way was she about to blow a Presidential campaign for a pretty face, even if she really wanted to believe what he said. “Am I supposed to believe that?”

Klaus rolled his eyes with a sigh. “How long will you continue to deny what’s between us?”

“As long as it takes for you to back off.” Caroline snapped back, though she didn’t enjoy the way his hands fell from her body. 

“I will.” He replied, stepping away until his lower back hit the kitchen island. He leaned up against it, eyeing her with twinkling eyes. “I will, if you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t feel it too. Be honest with me for once, put your political allegiance aside. Look me in the eye and tell me how you feel.”

Caroline opened her mouth to speak but words wouldn’t come. In her chest tight coils of heat tightened around her lungs, and her eyes frantically darted everywhere in the apartment in search of a response.

“Come on, sweetheart. All those looks, the back and forth, the electricity. This goes far beyond an election or one drunken night at a bar. I’ve known from the first day I met you, we’re good together, Caroline. And I like you.”

“You flirt with everything that moves.”

“Perhaps.”

“I don’t want to be one of many.”

“Fine.”

“I’m serious, Klaus. I get jealous.”

“As do I.”

Caroline studied his face for a second, trying to discern anything which could indicate a lack of sincerity. His gaze gave her but honesty and openness, and once again she was struck by what a fantastic politician he'd make. “And politics are off the cards. For at least the next two weeks.”

“Agreed.”

After a long moment of soul searching, she finally met his eyes with a sigh. 

The way his gaze bore into hers made her feel just as exposed as his words did. Because it was true, and politics aside, she’d couldn’t hide the electric chemistry they had. Caroline found herself helpless to the things she admired about him - his intelligence and loyalty and ambition. Nor could she ignore the way her body longed for a repeat of last night, the way he read her lust and delivered in every way she needed him to.

And yes, in two weeks time it’d be over. One of them would work in government and the other would find a different dream. Were his political views really a dealbreaker, or could she reframe them as a challenge? A challenge not only to her own views, but a crash course in convincing and compromising cross-party. 

With seconds ticking by and silence hanging in the air, for once Caroline stopped her thoughts short and acted on instinct. 

Taking quick steps, she closed the distance between them, reached for his face and pressed her lips to his. There was no hesitation in the way Klaus responded, spinning them around until he had her pinned against the counter. His lips were fast on hers, soft and slick but demanding when coupled with his firm hands on her waist. 

Caroline whimpered against his lips as he licked into her mouth, running her hands along his chest and trying to pull him even closer with fingernails digging in his sides. Regardless of how tightly his body pressed against hers, it didn’t feel like enough. Klaus reached down and grabbed her ass, giving it a harsh squeeze before lifting her to sit on the counter. Caroline gasped, feeling her arousal spike as he pushed her knees apart to stand between them. Her pencil skirt was restrictive and dug into her thighs until his fingertips pushed it up to expose soft skin. 

Klaus pressed hot kisses down her neck, pressing his hips to slot against hers. It wasn’t until her fingers pressed under the waistband of his sweats that he froze. Feeling him tense, Caroline sat back and pulled her hands from him.

“Caroline.” He muttered, as he left soft kisses along her jaw and cheek before pushing away with a sigh. “Go to work.”

“I lied.” She breathed back, delighting in the way his eyes narrowed as her hand returned to play with the drawstrings on his pants. “I don’t have to go.” 

“No, love.” Klaus said, pulling further out of her reach. The intensity of his gaze had Caroline pulling her legs together, edging her skirt to cover more of her skin as she tried to hide the sting of rejection with confusion. 

“I want this, I do. But if I have you again I won’t let you sneak out or pretend like this doesn’t mean anything.” Klaus continued, as sincere as she’d ever seen him. “Walk away now, if you need to. I won’t give you another chance.”

Drinking in the magnitude of his words, Caroline hopped down from the counter. Her mind was already made up, and there was little he could say to convince her otherwise. “And if I were to say that you can make me breakfast?” She asked with a small smile playing on her lips. 

The grin which stretched over his face made her heart lurch. “I’d ask if you can wait a few hours.” 

Caroline couldn’t help the sound which escaped her mouth at the speed with which he lifted her, hands under her ass encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. “Hours?” She gasped, slinging both arms around his neck.

“ _Hours_.” He repeated, pressing his lips under her ear as he carried her back to his bedroom. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! Please consider leaving a comment (however short!) and let me know if you did! You can also find me on Tumblr @euvixen. I take drabble prompts. I'm also good at writing porn, so like, if you want that let me know. Stay safe and wear a mask!


End file.
